The Change of the Priesthood
The three qualifications for being the high priest are: to be a man who has personally experienced the troubles of the people that he represents; to be chosen by God; and to have the right heritage. We looked at the first two of these in chapter 5. And up to this point we have seen that the priests had to be in Aaron's linage.
By tradition, the one who came earlier is superior to the one who came later –referring to the older having greater influence and authority than the younger. For example, Jacob is a highly respected father of the Hebrews, but his father Isaac is greater, and his father Abraham is greater still. According to this tradition, the greatest priest would be Aaron –he was the oldest in his family when God established that priesthood. But in the account of Abraham, that tradition is shown to include one who is not constrained by family linage –it demonstrates that God had already established another and greater priesthood than Aaron's.
For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually. (Hebrews 7:1-3)
Genesis chapter 14 tells us more. There were nine kings (including the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah) who formed two alliances that went to war, four kings against the other five (Genesis 14:1-7). The winning side abducted Abraham's nephew Lot along with Lot's family and possessions (Genesis 14:8-12). Upon hearing the account, Abraham went to Lot's rescue and slaughtered his abductors (Genesis 14:13-16).
Afterwards, Melchizedek met Abraham; he brought out bread and wine; and he gave God's blessing to Abraham (Genesis 14:17-20). Directly following that blessing, God proclaimed His promise to Abraham –he was going to be the father of a great nation (described in the following chapter of Genesis). –And God did make the Hebrews into a great nation in spite of their continual string of failures.
The story is rich in symbolism. We've already read that Jesus –the Messiah of the Hebrews– is foreshadowed by Melchizedek. So it's not surprising that the priest came to Abraham (Abraham didn't go to him); the priest approached him with the bread and wine (Abraham didn't first go to him with an offering); and the priest blessed him (showing that Melchizedek was greater than Abraham). Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God, came to the Hebrews –they weren't looking for Him. At His last Passover, Jesus described the bread as His body and the wine as His blood which He brought. It was the next day at that Passover that Jesus pronounced the great blessings, "Forgive them Father, they don't know what they're doing" and "You shall be with me in Paradise today".
Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest's office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. (Hebrews 7:4-10)
Jesus is Foreshadowed by Melchizedek
Jesus submitted Himself to us by entering our world as a vulnerable infant, living among us, and by dying at our hands –yet His life is considered to be timeless. John, chapter one, describes Him as existing in the beginning (John 1:1-5, 14). And we read in Psalm 110 that He lives forever. The analogy is developed through the absence of Melchizedek's ancestry and history. Both he and Jesus had no beginning and no end –Melchizedek's birth and death are not recorded and Jesus was in the beginning and He lives on forever. (Melchizedek well could have been the pre-incarnate Christ!)
By tithing to him, Abraham demonstrated that Melchizedek was greater than himself. Following the logic of the Hebrew tradition, Melchizedek is also greater than Isaac and Jacob. It follows that he was also greater than Levi –one of Jacob's (Israel's) sons. And, of course, Levi was the "father" of Aaron (Moses and Aaron were Levites). So then Melchizedek was greater than all of the Levitical Priesthood.
It's most curious that Melchizedek is called the priest of the Most High God. Not only is this the only first mention of him, it's also the first mention of any priest of God. And it's the only mention of God having a priest other than from the line of Aaron. So according to the Hebrew tradition of "the one who is first is greatest", Melchizedek is the greatest of all priests –that is until Jesus became the high priest of that priesthood.
Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. For it is attested of Him, "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK." (Hebrews 7:11-17)
Let's pause here for a moment and consider the sequence of events. When God determined that the time was right for the people to be led out of Egypt, he made Moses their leader –His representative. However, Moses needed help communicating with people so God appointed Aaron as His communicator. At that point in time, Aaron became God's priest to the Hebrews. While in the desert, God gave the Levitical Law and the Ten Commandments. This passage in Hebrews chapter 7 says that the law is directly connected to the priesthood. "For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also." (Hebrews 7:12) Now, back to our story...
The best that the Levitical Priesthood and its laws could accomplish was to show people their imperfection. The Ten Commandments proved them to be rebels against God. All of the rules and regulations that we read about in chapter 4 were effectively a mirror to show the people their sin. They exposed the gap between man and God –a gap that was ever widening and impossible to cross by routinely offered gifts and sacrifices. Even the tabernacle and temple objects used in the religious services were just symbols of something better being needed –every religious practice had to be repeated at least once a year because it could not bring perfection to the people. The Levitical Priesthood could never permanently restore a righteous relationship with God.
Remember, the high priest is the mediator between man and God –he represents both parties. In regard to representing God, he had to gain God's acceptance and be credible to the people in this role. So Aaron and his offspring were to obey the Levitical Law. That law showed the priest's need to be sinless and separate from the world's ways. He had to maintain purity and constant dedication to God.
In regard to the high priest representing man, he related the requirements for the people to be acceptable to God. That's where the Ten Commandments come into the picture. They show the consequences of the fallen human nature. Those ten basic demands are intended to condemn every man's heart so that he knows that death –eternal separation from God– is his final destination unless a sacrifice can be substituted in his place. Since the high priest was a man, he was able to admit guilt; plead for undeserved mercy; and make fellowship and sin offerings and sacrifices for the people.
In this chapter seven passage, God reveals His permanent remedy for mans' death sentence. It was foreshadowed in Psalm 110 where God announced that a different priesthood was going to replace the Levites. Melchizedek was the first priest –ambassador– of that order. But Jesus –the Messiah of Israel –the Son of God, was going to to be the new high priest. He was going to represent God to the people –and the people to God.
The Change of the Law
For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. (Hebrews 7:18-19)
The Levitical Law and the Ten Commandments are set aside –they are weak and useless– because they can not make a person better. They do a fine job of condemning him, but they can't truly make him acceptable to God. A different way had to be introduced that would restore that relationship completely.
And inasmuch as it was not without an oath (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him, "THE LORD HAS SWORN AND WILL NOT CHANGE HIS MIND, 'YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER'"); so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. (Hebrews 7:20-22)
Jesus is the new High Priest of a different priesthood. We saw in verse 12 that when the priesthood changed, the law –the covenant on which it relates to man and God– also had to change. The New Covenant is not a "better" version of that Old Covenant as many believe –erroneously citing that the same basic 613 laws are quoted in both the New and Old Testaments of the Bible. They wrongly think that the "New" is merely the "Old" –but without some of the required punishments –and they select which laws and which punishments remain in effect.
The "Old" was a covenant in which the people had to keep their part in order for God to keep His part. The blessings and curses were based on people's obedience. But any serious reader of the Bible must realize that the blessings that the people received were always based on God's grace –they never deserved blessings by achieving the perfection demanded by the Law. And it is because of God's mercy that the people rarely received the curses –the punishments– that the Law required. This brand New Covenant is one sided; it is based strictly on God's judgment of the heart –not man's thoughts and actions (Hebrews 4:12-13).
The Levitical Priesthood ended because its priests were not able to continue in office due to the fall –all mankind sins and must subsequently die. God Himself has guaranteed that the new priesthood will never end. Its High Priest is the Messiah –the sinless Lamb of God –Jesus. We read in chapter 4 and chapter 6 that God provided only one way into His Sabbath Rest –to the Promised Land; and it was through Yeshua –Jesus.
The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:23-25)
Referring to high priests, the succession was long because when one grew old and died, he had to be replaced. But this new High Priest is permanent because His life is eternal –it's indestructible –He is the High Priest forever.
For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever. (Hebrews 7:26-28)
Once again, the high priest represents God to people –and people to God. In order to be acceptable to God in representing the people, other high priests had to offer the blood –giving up the life– of animals because even priests were contaminated by the world. That life of an innocent being was given up as a substitute for what was actually required –the blood of the high priest. Then the high priest offered blood –the death of an innocent being's life– for the sins of the people.
Keep in mind that it was not the animals that committed the original sin and corrupted the entire creation. –It was mankind and the only sacrifice that could ever end the cycle of killing animals would have to be the sacrifice of an uncorrupted, uncontaminated man –one with an innocent life.
Jesus –the Lamb of God– was already acceptable. In fact, God Himself declared "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased" (Matthew 3:17). So when Jesus offered His own life-blood, everything that the law required was fulfilled. Since He was sinless, He was qualified to be the sacrifice –and since He was raised from the dead, He was able to offer His blood to God for payment of sins. His blood cleansed Himself from the sin and death that He "touched" during His physical life –and it paid the death penalty that is required for all.